Transitioning from reading to your child to having them read to you can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be—and it shouldn't be. This process should be smooth and positive.
Remember, true reading—beyond just memorizing word shapes—is a developmental milestone. Just as you can't force a child to crawl or walk, you can't force them to read. It’s a process that requires developmental readiness.
To begin the reading process, teach your child the phonetic sounds of each letter (e.g. a says /a/ like apple, b says /b/ like bear). This is the focus of the our 3 and 4 Year Curricula.
For the next step, the child will put together and separate the sounds. I love how the book Wow! I’m Reading! breaks up the process from easiest to most difficult.
1. Compound words: cow…boy [cowboy]
2. Syllables: pen…cil [pencil]
3. The first sound with all of the others: b…ag [bag]
4. All but the last sound: me…t [met]
5. Each sound separately: m..a..p [map]
While driving around town, give your child compound words to divide. After they have mastered that concept, separate compound words to combine.
Once the chid masters the compound words, move to the next step in the above list. The final step is putting three sounds together to create a CVC word (consonant, vowel, consonant). These are words like hat, tip, man, dog, etc. (Use the Word Family Digital Download for visual guidance.) As a final step move to nonsense words (e.g. dat, bap, mip)
Once the child can put individual sounds together to create a word, it is time to begin reading books. The Bob Books series was the curriculum of choice with my children.
Suggestions for reading these stories:
• Look at the title and front cover to predict what will occur in the story.
• Picture-walk through the book before reading it. By looking at the pictures, again predict what will happen.
• Instruct the child to point under the words as he or she reads. Also, point to items in the picture as they are mentioned in the story.
• Make reading a positive experience and take the child’s clue when a break is needed.
• Move on to the next book when the child can comfortably read the current one.
• When first reading the story, repeat the sentence after the child has read it to provide continuity and for the child to hear the words read smoothly and with inflection.
• Be sure to read the back cover to understand the context of the story.
To encourage the child in this process, I've created fun “Reading Checklist” for the first 5 sets of Bob Books. Print and hang in your home. When your child finishes a book, place a stamp or sticker in the box beside the book’s title. Celebrate when a whole page is finished.
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